Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBF) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 131,437 shares, a drop of 19.2% from the December 15th total of 162,603 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 56,490 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days. Currently, 0.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Currently, 0.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 56,490 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on WSBF shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Waterstone Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, December 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Waterstone Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waterstone Financial currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Waterstone Financial Price Performance

Shares of Waterstone Financial stock opened at $17.42 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $321.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.10 and a beta of 0.81. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $16.40 and its 200 day moving average is $15.24. Waterstone Financial has a one year low of $11.61 and a one year high of $17.90.

Waterstone Financial (NASDAQ:WSBF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The savings and loans company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $37.04 million for the quarter. Waterstone Financial had a return on equity of 6.99% and a net margin of 12.08%.

Waterstone Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 8th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 8th. Waterstone Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waterstone Financial news, Director Michael L. Hansen sold 79,872 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.16, for a total transaction of $1,210,859.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 8.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waterstone Financial

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WSBF. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Waterstone Financial by 557.9% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,875 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waterstone Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waterstone Financial during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Waterstone Financial in the 4th quarter worth $126,000. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in Waterstone Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at $138,000. Institutional investors own 62.71% of the company’s stock.

Waterstone Financial Company Profile

Waterstone Financial, Inc is a bank holding company based in Glendale, Wisconsin, that provides a broad range of financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Its primary operations are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiary, Waterstone Bank, which offers deposit products, loan facilities and treasury management services. The company focuses on delivering relationship-based banking solutions tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as retail customers.

In addition to traditional commercial and consumer banking, Waterstone Financial supports its clients with specialized financing, including real estate, equipment and asset-based lending.